1. Field of the Invention:
The invention relates to a drive system for a partition wall system consisting of individual components, whereas some of the components are equipped with drive media allowing their automatic moving. The individual components are horizontally movable, by means of rollers or other devices at or in a guide rail mounted on the ceiling, in a way that the individual components can be automatically displaced from a line-up arrangement into a jammed parking position. Here at least part of each of the individual components is provided with separate drive media, which guide the corresponding components independently and/or simultaneously from the other components along the guide rail. The control is realized by a central control unit combined with a microprocessor, the output signal of which activates the data and the addresses via at least a two-wire connection (databus) to all drive media. Technically seen, it is also possible to employ an extra control line in addition to the two-wire connection. It is possible to individually control and regulate the individual components, for both their driving speed as well as the additional functions. Furthermore, in addition to the utilization of a direct-current drive, a control unit may be put to use which realizes the control and the regulation of the individual components via existing low voltage lines. All program data may be readout or changed on a control terminal.
2. Background Information:
A device and procedure for the operation of an automatic partition wall system is described in the German Patent No. 44 24 660 C1, in which the individual components are horizontally moved by means of a common drive. Moreover, the installation is conceived in that an existing movable partition wall system is equipped subsequently with a motorized drive which allows the movement of individual components by motor power. For this type, the already existing manually operated system is not exchanged, which means the individual components may also be moved manually. For automatization purposes, an additional rail system is mounted on the ceiling in front of the existing guide rail in which the individual components of the partition wall system are displaced. Switchable coupling equipment provided with an identification system runs in this rail system to detect single components containing corresponding indicators and to transfer them into the generally pivoted parking position. An electrical motor propelling an endless belt via a deflection roller drives the whole device. The identification system is controlled in connection with a programmable control unit in a way that, after a trial learning run, it recognizes the individual components and transports them into the desired parking position or into the partition wall's closed position.
The Swiss patent application 1160/96, which as of yet has not been published, with the title "Moving Wall" describes a moving wall with a motor drive where the individual moving wall components present media that run the corresponding moving wall component along a guide rail independently from the other moving wall components. Moreover, each moving wall component is provided with its own drive unit with an electrical motor as the drive media. The electrical motor's driving shaft is again equipped with media through which the working junction, together with a working surface or working profile arranged along the guide rail or almost parallel to the latter, drives the moving wall component along the guide rail. In order to realize conveyance of the individual moving wall components along the guide rail, a current collector appliance is installed in working junction with the line current bar appliance, and is moved along the line current bar appliance arranged stationary side by side to the guide rail. Here, while conveying the moving wall component, the line current bar appliance is rendered electrically conductive to trigger the drive motor's activation so as to control the partition wall system in individual partial sections. At least one out of the two line current bars is divided into multiple sections insulated against each other, that is to say tappings, that may be powered individually and purposefully via a power pack. Such installation is very expensive, especially with greater or larger installations since a large number of line current bars would have to be mounted.
The German Patent No. 31 50 581 A1 reveals a control procedure for remote control operation on low voltage lines. Here, signals coming from a central station are transferred to numerous sub-stations exactly via low-voltage lines on which a high frequency signal is modulated. For postal reasons, the signal emission is only allowed when a predetermined transmitting power is not exceeded. This procedure employs a modification of signal lengths and frequencies to reach a maximum transmitting level and, by doing this, limits the data volume.
German Patent No. 33 46 416 A1, for example, shows an installation for communication engineering to transmit information according to the aforementioned method. With this equipment a HF-signal is superimposed between a sender and a receiver at low-frequency main voltage. For this purpose, sender and receiver stations are respectively connected to different outer conductors. With the intent to achieve a secure information transfer from one outer conductor to another outer conductor, electronic couplers designed as LC resonance links are described. Principally, these electronic couplers transmit the useful signals in a substantially loss-free manner. In addition, they represent a suppressor to the low-frequency main voltage, such that corresponding safety requirements are respected.
Another procedure and arrangement to control communication terminals is disclosed by German Patent No. 42 43 504 A1. Here, one or more input devices and a display device are arranged in a room. Data is transferred to another local control unit via the input device by pushing buttons. When selecting functional buttons accordingly on the input device a pre-selection is made as to which of the linked communication terminals should be finally activated.
Moreover, so-called remote controls for the existent electric network are known in installation engineering representing, for example, 256 device addresses that are activated directly via a keyboard. A general, easy-to-survey LCD screen displays these corresponding functions simultaneously. Further to the manual input, these operations may be automated by using appropriate programmable memories. It is conceivable that such control can automatically activate and also deactivate, for example, blinds, lights, etc. Likewise, there is a controller supervising the usual operations. Also, in case of absence of persons, memorized information may be requested and activated via telephone by means of a suitable electronic device.